May It Be
by ChibiJaime
Summary: When a mysterious little girl appears to the Sanzo-ikkou, they must determine who she is and why she has arrived before it spells the end for them all... (YAOI... R&R please! Updates have been made!)
1. May It Be, Part One: Of Beast Lords and ...

Because I've been wanting to do this for a while now, here's version 2 of May It Be Part 1: Of Beast Lords and Forgotten Friendships for your reading enjoyment! I mean, why would a strange little girl be out on her own, anyway...? And before anyone asks, NO, Kai does NOT end up with Gokuu. I have someone else... someone with golden hair and violet eyes and a mean-streak the size of Nebraska... in mind for him...  
  
~=May It Be, Part One=~ =~Of Beast Lords and Forgotten Friendships~= {v.2.0}  
  
"Nataku! Look at you, you're filthy! And *Kai Lin*... how in the world did you two get so messy? Where in the world is Gokuu?"  
  
The Dragon Prince Nataku and the Kirin Kai Lin looked at each other quietly before turning their eyes back to Tenpou, who was glaring down at them through his glasses with the most scolding glare he could muster. Which was difficult, given the two pairs of wilting golden eyes that stared up at him.  
  
It had been almost a month since the little Kirin had arrived, and Nataku had been hustled over immediately, despite his father's disapproval at being so near Gokuu. But keeping the two young beast lords together seemed to be the better option and, in the end, won out over his overprotective tendencies.  
  
Unfortunately for Tenpou, it was his day to watch the trio. Not that it was a difficult task. Kai Lin preferred tea parties and cookies to climbing trees with the boys, unless they were teasing her. So she normally stayed with Tenpou, content to read any little book he handed her while he did his work and the boys played outside. Today, however, they had chosen to pick on the poor girl, and the little beast lord, with her hair the color of blue flames, had chosen to pick back. Nataku's normally neatly bunned hair was dispersed about his face, sticking out and making a generally cute mess of him. Kai Lin was trying to be composed, smoothing the dirty floral patterned ceremonial chenogasm she wore, trying to straighten her hair...  
  
Finally, the young general gave in, unable to help but smile. After giving both of the children a gentle pat atop the head, he raised a finger. "Nataku, I'll clean you up. Kai Lin, you should probably see one of the ladies of the court. I don't think it would be prudent for me to be in charge of tidying up the little mess you've made of yourself."  
  
The little girl nodded and darted off as Tenpou set about the task of getting the dragon prince cleaned up before Konzen found out.  
  
*****  
  
It wasn't long after the two children were clean and set back to playing that Gokuu was found, sitting in a tree and avoiding any punishment he may receive for making the clothes of his higher class friends dirty. As the two looked up at him, he kept a careful eye on them, shifting on his branch and gazing at them through scruffy brown bangs. "...Konzen's mad, isn't he?"  
  
"He doesn't know, Gokuu!" Nataku reassured, holding out his arms as if to show off his newly cleaned robes.  
  
"That's right!" Kai Lin reassured. She looked strangely overdressed in her floral ceremonial chenogasm and the gold and jeweled tiara that circled her forehead. "We went to Tenpou!"  
  
At those words, the little monkey dropped from the tree, landing neatly on his feet in front of his friends. Both of them were smiling brightly at him, and Gokuu felt better about having accidentally made them look messy. They both looked much better now, their faces free of the smudge and dirt that had adorned them before. Nataku was smiling just as brightly as ever, his face spry and mischievious, as Kai Lin proceeded to sit herself down, the long, flowing fabric of her chenogasm laying about her in a circle of silk and fine cottons.  
  
Gokuu had always wondered why his friends had to wear such fancy things. He was happy with his shirt and pants, the little chain and collar around his neck, the diadem on his forehead. Well, maybe not the chain and collar, but Konzen did insist he did not remove them. But his two friends wore fancy things. Nataku dressed in fine imperial robes, his long hair kept in a bun at the back of his head. He always looked clean and he always looked well-kept. The boy was much like Gokuu, but much neater. The little monkey and the dragon prince seemed a very unlikely pair.  
  
But even more unlikely was little Kai Lin. She sat, acutely aware of her surroundings, her little, slightly upturned nose buried in another book Tenpou had given her. The robes were far too much for a little girl like her, such a fine imperial chenogasm with all its layers and folds, and the tiara banded about her forehead. Kenren had said Kai Lin was "betrothed" to Nataku, whatever that meant.  
  
All in all, they were an unlikely little group. Gokuu, the chatterbox of a little monkey; Nataku, the calm and composed young prince; Kai Lin, the rather unwilling Lady of All Animals. None of them knew the great turmoil they would soon be put through...  
  
No one knew the grief.  
  
*****  
  
It was a dark, very stormy night when Kanzeon Bosatsu sat at the bedside of a feverish Kai Lin. The child's tiara was off, revealing a whole new nature. Her hair flowed freely, like flames licking on dry branches, and a horn stood out where the central gem of the tiara normally sat. The legendary Kirin, so young, and about to choose her sovereign.  
  
Kanzeon knew blood would be shed soon.  
  
The goddess did not flinch when Kai Lin sat up, a distant, wise look in otherwise childish eyes. She did not turn away when that ominous gaze fell upon her. "Your Highness. Lord of All Beasts. Have you chosen your sovereign?"  
  
The child did not look so much a child any longer. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap as her fiery hair flowed wildly about her face. "My lord, Nataku. And one other." The words startled Kanzeon. A Kirin chosing two sovereigns...? "Konzen Douji."  
  
The tiara snapped back into place, replacing the horn instantly, and as the child fell back into a peaceful sleep, her fever broken and her hair normal once more, the lightning flashed outside.  
  
*****  
  
"Konzen Douji is dead!"  
  
It was unlike Kanzeon Bosatsu to be surprised by many things... but the thought that someone such as Konzen...  
  
"Who did this?!"  
  
A guard pushed a shackled boy to the feet of the goddess of mercy, beaten and bruised, shaking and weeping. Kai Lin and Nataku recognized the face and tried to run foreward, but another guard caught the two children as the first one spoke. "Son Gokuu."  
  
"No! It has to be a mistake!" Kai Lin was in tears.  
  
"...We can't kill him," Kanzeon whispered quietly, ignoring the children as best she could. "We do not kill as a punishment."  
  
"We'll lock him away, then," another guard suggested.  
  
Kai Lin's sobbing became heavier, louder, terrified that her friend was being taken away. At this point, Nataku had ceased struggling and he pulled the girl from the soldier's grasp, letting her cry into his robes. "Nataku, they can't do this! Gokuu would never hurt Konzen-san! Never!"  
  
"Your prophecy, Kai Lin, remember your prophecy!" He held the girl tightly as she attempted to struggle again.  
  
"Then it's my fault!" She screamed this at the guards. "It's my fault he's dead! Take me instead of Gokuu, please, it wasn't his fault!"  
  
Pitiful cries fell on deaf ears as she attempted to struggle free of Nataku's grasp. "Kai Lin, no..."  
  
"No, stop! It's not Gokuu's fault! Nataku, let me go! It's all a mistake!"  
  
*****  
  
(more than 500 years later)  
  
"Bored, bored, bored, bored, BORING." Son Gokuu was not in the best of moods after a nearly half-day of driving had brought them to a very small little town without a single incident. No youkai, no Kougaiji-ikkou, no nothing. Just empty, empty fields and an unusually quiet drive... that is, until they reached the town. Gokuu was suffering from a sudden case of very severe boredom anxiety and was rocking back and forth where he sat, occasionally hitting Sha Gojyo, whose eyebrow was twitching slightly. "Maa, Hakka~i... when are we gonna do somethin'?"  
  
Cho Hakkai only chuckled slightly, turning a slight glance back from where he was driving. "Soon, Gokuu. We have to stop here for food and supplies. Why don't you wander around for a while and release some of that energy?"  
  
Those words were all that Gokuu needed. In a split second, he jumped out of the jeep and took off like a shot to find something more interesting than an annoyed Gojyo. Genjo Sanzo grumbled and turned his scowl to Hakkai. "We shouldn't let him run off."  
  
"Nonsense!" Hakkai interjected cheerily. "He needs to find someone his age to talk to. He's been lonely in every town, and maybe since we're going to be staying here to rest for a little while, we should let him have some fun."  
  
*****  
  
It took no time at all for Gokuu to find the main square of the village and start darting around to various stands, peering with wide golden eyes at all sorts of confectionaries and treats. He smiled cheerfully at little old ladies that chattered on about such a healthy young man, hardly understanding the interest their granddaughters showed.  
  
It wasn't, however, the sight of the sweets or the kind words of the village folk that finally caught his attention in the highest. It was the sight of a tiny little girl peering at some meatbuns in a cart nearby. She didn't look as young as her height may have portrayed... she looked fairly close to him in age. Hair of fiery blue was plated in twin braids down her back, and a band of gold with a ruby set was banded over her forehead. But the most noticable thing to him was her eyes... she had beautiful golden eyes, as bright and attentive as his, and something about her seemed distinctly inhuman... she wasn't a youkai, but she possessed some sort of power...  
  
*****  
  
In the meantime, in the Heavenly Realm of Taigai, things were not running quite so smoothly. As a matter of fact, Jiroushin had himself proverbially bent over backwards worrying over how exactly he was going to explain something very serious to Kanzeon Bosatsu. He stood in front of her now, trying to retain his composure, but from the way Kanzeon was looking at him... he wasn't sure how to say what he had to. "Kanzeon Bosatsu-sama... I'm afraid I have some rather, er... bad news..."  
  
For a long moment, Kanzeon said nothing. She simply watched Jiroushin... and then sighed deeply. "Well? Spill it! What's the bad news?"  
  
"The Holy Kirin has run away. We can't find her anywhere."  
  
"Oh, well, that's..." Then reality sank in. "She WHAT?!"  
  
*****  
  
At this point, the little blue-haired girl had not noticed the approach of the other boy with the strange golden eyes. She was talking to the lady at the cart cheerfully, hands behind her back, standing almost tomboyishly. Whisps of hair fell into her face, but she hardly noticed.  
  
Gokuu didn't know what to say to her. But the lady at the cart noticed his interest in the girl and chuckled. "Why, Lin... you have an admirer. And quite the strapping young lad, I'll admit!"  
  
The girl, called Lin by the lady at the cart, blinked a bit with a soft "are?" and turned. She gasped at the sight of the boy, startled a bit, but said nothing, even as her golden eyes grew wide and focused on him. Gokuu just smiled sheepishly and waved a little. "Uh... hi. Your name's Lin?"  
  
The girl blinked again, then smiled a little, turning fully to face him. "Mm. I'm Lin. Who're you?"  
  
"Gokuu ga. Son Gokuu."  
  
At that, the little girl smiled, eyes crinkling shut as she tilted her head to one side. "Nice to meet you, Gokuu. Are you all alone here?"  
  
"Well, kinda," Gokuu responded. "Uhm... can I... y'know, say somethin'?"  
  
For a moment, Lin looked at him in vague confusion, before she shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind."  
  
There was a long pause as the two regarded each other before Gokuu finally spoke again, "Anou... you smell kinda funny."  
  
The little girl suddenly looked very affronted, frowning as she balled her small hands into fists at her sides. "I do not!"  
  
"I didn't mean it that way!" Instantly, Gokuu tried to make better what he had said, holding his hands up in front of him. "What I meant to say was... well..." He frowned. He couldn't say it in front of the lady at the cart, who did seem rather confused at tihs point. Instead, he grabbed Lin's wrist and tugged her along behind him. "Come on... I'll tell you on the way."  
  
The sudden action did startle the girl, but she didn't pull away, breaking into a jog to keep up. "Ch--chotto matte! I don't get it! What are you...?"  
  
"You don't smell human."  
  
Coupled with a sense of shock from him dragging her off in the first place, the sudden statement caused Lin to stop in her tracks, and much to Gokuu's surprise, he nearly pulled his own feet out from under him. He turned to look at the blue-haired girl, watching her expression carefully. People moved around them, but she just kept her own golden eyes focused on him... until she shook her head quickly. "I'm sorry!"  
  
Gokuu was startled. Lin broke into a run in the other direction, obviously upset by something or another, and he had no idea what he had said wrong. He started to follow, of course... until he noticed that the girl had run directly into a rather startled, tall young man with a little white dragon on his shoulder and wide, worried green eyes. Hakkai. "Oh dear... you're not hurt, are you? Here, let me help you up..."  
  
Lin stared. How could she not? Before her stood a familiar face, and she couldn't stop the words that spilled out, wishing instantly that she could take them back. "Tenpou...?!"  
  
The only response she received was a rather puzzled expression from Hakkai, who shook his head. "I'm sorry, I don't know anyone by that name. My name is Hakkai. Did I hurt you?"  
  
Finally, Lin shook her head, but she dared not stay there any longer. She took off again, and this time, she was gone before Gokuu could even keep up.  
  
*****  
  
Lin knew where she was going, though... in an alley a few blocks from where she had met the two, she stood shaking, leaning against the wall with a small hand pressed against her forehead. Had it really been them?  
  
The little girl sighed, rubbing her face with her hands. There had been no mistaking Gokuu... he was the same boy she had known so long ago, just a child herself. It was the same hyper little monkey that she, the unsure Holy Kirin, had been the closest of friends with.  
  
The man with him had borne a startling resemblance to Tenpou, which was not startling to her. But did that mean the others were there as well? Their reincarnations? Konzen and Kenren?  
  
Finally, the weight of the situation on the tiny girl took hold. Her thoughts spun, and she pressed her face into her hands as she felt slightly light-headed. She looked up slightly to see the man that looked like Tenpou again, rushing into the alley, this time followed by... Konzen?!  
  
She didn't have time to question the issue further. Blackness overcame her vision and she collapsed to the dusty alley floor.  
  
*****  
  
(past)  
  
"Kanzeon-sama..."  
  
The goddess glanced down at Kai Lin as the child spoke, watching the small hands dip into the water and pick up a lotus. "Yes, Kai Lin?"  
  
"Why did Konzen have to die?"  
  
Kanzeon Bosatsu looked puzzled for a moment, not knowing what to tell the lonesome child. Finally, she sighed, kneeling next to Kai Lin and rustling the soft blue hair. "We know it was Nataku's destiny either way to be a leader. But because of you, his leadership became far greater than anything and it made him a hero. Perhaps... perhaps in the form of the Holy Kirin, you can see things we cannot. Perhaps you knew Konzen Douji's future... and just maybe you knew what he would one day become." A wistful smile crossed her lips as the girl sniffled back a sob. "You'll see them all again someday, Kai Lin. You have my word."  
  
*****  
  
(present)  
  
The room was unfamiliar, and the light above her head was electric. She groaned, turning her head to one side to see a silent figure sitting there, head lowered and expression shielded by silky blond hair.  
  
Had she dreamed the whole thing? Had Konzen's death, Goku's imprisonment, and Nataku's grand battle all been a silly dream? A fantasy?  
  
She reached out her hand gently, placing it against the soft skin, almost as pale as a lily. Those droopy violet eyes turned back to her, giving her that same harsh glare, and Lin smiled. "Konzen... it is you... but Kanzeon said... I would find Genjo Sanzo, not you... was I dreaming, Konzen...?"  
  
"Konzen." He repeated the name more as a statement than a question. "There is no Konzen here. Genjo Sanzo, on the other hand... I am Genjo Sanzo. You're Lin, correct?"  
  
Lin didn't respond at first, still reeling. This was Sanzo. Sanzo who looked so much like Konzen. Finally, she nodded. "H--hai... my name is Lin... I'm sorry, you look so much like..."  
  
Sanzo cut her off. "You called Hakkai a strange name as well. And when you woke up slightly earlier, you did the same to Gojyo when he was here. Tenpou? Kenren? Are those people your brothers?"  
  
The girl shook her head, still in mild disbelief. "N--no... they were my friends... and... but Goku, Goku is here. You said your name is Genjo Sanzo?" The monk nodded, obviously more than just a little suspicious of the girl's behaviour. "...Of course... then... I may have found who I was looking for anyway..."  
  
*****  
  
In Empress Gyukomen's castle, so far away, Gyukomen herself pondered over the events that had transpired. Animals had shrieked and buzzed about, making all sorts of racket, when some sort of being had fallen to earth...  
  
A being that could grant sovereignity to anyone... a being of immense power... the Holy Kirin.  
  
Smiling a devilish smile, she turned to the door, and called for Nii Jyenii to bring Kougaiji to her.  
  
She had a little task for him to perform...  
  
~Tsuzukeru...~ 


	2. May It Be, Part Two: Speaking to the Dea...

Yay, a rewrite of this chapter too! I had to fit it all together properly, didn't I?  
  
~Part 2~ ::Speaking to the Dead::  
  
It was late in the afternoon before Lin had recovered enough from her shock that they could question her situation. What as a strange girl like her, though they hadn't phrased it quite like that, doing wandering about by herself? Didn't she know it was dangerous, with all the youkai about?  
  
How did she know Gokuu? Who were Kenren, Tenpou, and -- most importantly -- who was this Konzen Sanzo apparently looked so much like?  
  
Lin was unsure how to answer them. Her answers were dodgy at best, and no matter how hard she tried not to upset the man called Sanzo, she could feel more than see the tension in those intense amethyst orbs. Three men who had been reincarnated so many times, somehow -- in this life -- looking so much like the men they once were, that acted like they had so long ago... how would they understand their ranks and duties from five- hundred years before?  
  
Only Gokuu looked truly intrigued by the girl, staring at her, thinking... the memory in his mind was as difficult to snatch as trying to capture a butterfly with a fishing net. Gojyo glanced at him, raising a brow. "Oi, saru. What's up with you?"  
  
Gokuu just shook his head, not speaking. Hakkai frowned at this, then smiled brightly at the rather puzzled girl. "I'll make us something to eat. You'll have to excuse me if I make too much... Gokuu has quite the appetite, and--..."  
  
"Don't worry about making as much as you usually do, Hakkai. I'm not hungry." Eyes turned to him in surprise as he hopped off his stool. "I'll be outside... I need to think..."  
  
Everyone watched him silently as he trudged out of the room and Lin, nervous and upset, hugged her knees to her chest. "This... I should've known better and expected this, but I didn't want to believe it could be true... I shouldn't listened to her and stayed home..."  
  
"Her?" Sanzo questioned lightly, trying as hard as he could not to sound too threatening. "Who is she?"  
  
Instantly, Lin jumped, turning her eyes to Kon--... no... Sanzo. "Oh... m--my adopted mother. She--..."  
  
"Lin, we don't have time for lies!"  
  
The girl started, staring into Sanzo's face as if it has been his hand and not his words that had struck her. Then, her jaw trembled. Too much had happened... she didn't know how to tell them what she was, why she had come...  
  
She burst into tears. "You should all be dead..."  
  
Gojyo was on his feet, ready to grab his longarm, before Hakkai's calm hand stopped him. "Gojyo, no. I think there's more to this..." He rested his hand atop her head and Lin shivered. His touch was much like Tenpou's. "Lin. What do you mean?"  
  
"My name isn't just Lin. My name is Kai Lin. Five hundred years ago..." the child murmured through her tears. "Konzen Douji, killed on the night I chose my sovereign for the very first time... Son Gokuu, imprisoned for 500 years in a cave as a punishment... they thought he killed Konzen. I don't... I don't remember what happened to Tenpou and Kenren. Tenpou, though... he was my tutor. He was very smart, and he was gentle and always smiled. He and Kenren were lovers. Kenren was very flashy and brash... there were few that liked him. Except for Nataku, Gokuu, and myself... but Konzen..." She turned her face to Sanzo, tears streaming down her face and showing no signs of stopping. "Konzen was so... so different. Konzen had a harsh gaze that could cut through any man. Konzen was strong and demanding. Everyone feared Konzen, if they knew what was best for them..." She sniffled harshly. "Except for we kids."  
  
The room fell silent as three men struggled with what the girl had just said. Sanzo looked at her with a hint of confusion, though his voice did not show it. "Sovereign? Then you..." He nodded. "Sou ka. You're a Kirin." The girl nodded meekly. "I should've thought as much. That diadem contains your power, just like Goku's contains his."  
  
"But why should you have been afraid ta mention that to us, Kai Lin? Three of us here are demons..." Gojyo paused, correcting himself. "Or at least two and a half of us. And Sanzo's the human one." His head tilted to one side. "And what does it have to do with us?"  
  
A deep sigh escaped Kai Lin's lips as she started to calm down from her weeping. "You'll learn, all in due time..."  
  
*****  
  
"You don't just walk up to a Kirin and capture it!"  
  
Kougaiji was on a tirade. The orders he had been given by Gyukomen were to find the fallen Kirin, capture it, and bring it back to the castle. A task which was much easier said than done. Ririn, Yaone, and Dokugakuji all watched the prince pace back and forth, ranting about the ridiculous nature of the current task, and how even Gyumao himself wouldn't be able to capture the elusive Holy Beast.  
  
Yaone frowned, biting her lip, before stepping foreward a little. "Kougaiji-sama... there is a possibility..."  
  
Fiery violet eyes turned on the young female youkai, burning at her through mussy strands of red. "What?"  
  
A small sound of surprise before she continued, shakily. "There is a possibility the Kirin could've taken a human form using a limiter. And if that is the case, then it will make it much easier to capture."  
  
Kougaiji's pacing stopped. The woman's words made sense. As he stood, thoughtfully, Ririn bounded over and latched onto his side. "So are we going to try to capture the Kirin, onii-chan?"  
  
As if coming out of the issues he had been suffering from, Kougaiji smiled, placing his hand in the thick orangish tresses. "*You* are staying here. Yaone... watch Ririn for me."  
  
"Of course, Kougaiji-sama."  
  
"Mo~ou!!" Ririn was not happy with this turn of events. "Onii-chan, that's not fair!"  
  
Kougaiji would've laughed at the hilarious picture the girl made, fists clenched and cheeks puffed, if it wasn't so horribly out of character. "I promise, Ririn, that I'll take you out myself later, once we bring back the Kirin. All right?"  
  
For a moment, the child did not look convinced... but then, her face brightened and she nodded, glomping her brother. "Hai! Honto ka da~ai suki, onii-chan!"  
  
*****  
  
Taigai was in a total fuss. Guards had been sent out in every direction, but there was still no sign of the missing Holy Kirin. Jiroushin mumbled to himself, rubbing the back of his head, as he watched the soldiers rush about. She must've placed some sort of barrier on herself to keep herself from being seen. But how? Why?  
  
What was so important to the girl that she would give up her own personal safety to find it...?  
  
Then, he remembered.  
  
Them.  
  
*****  
  
(past)  
  
"Gokuu!"  
  
Gokuu cringed as he heard that voice yelling. Konzen wasn't happy again, though for what reason, he wasn't sure. He hadn't made Nataku and Kai Lin dirty again... Nataku was napping, and Kai Lin was studying with Tenpou. Instantly, he darted towards the voice, following it until he was inside the garden.  
  
And there stood Konzen. He was looking around with a worried expression, as if trying to find... "Gokuu! There you are!" The man jogged over to him, sandals making a strange slapping noise against the floor. "I couldn't find you..." He sounded almost... relieved?  
  
"H--Hai... is something wrong, Konzen?"  
  
That fleeting moment was gone as quickly as it had begun, and instantly, Konzen looked furious. "Where have you been?! I thought you wanted to go on that picnic today, with Kenren, Tenpou, and those other two runts!" Only Konzen could get away with saying that. "Come on, then, let's get you ready!"  
  
As Konzen started to walk, Gokuu's small hand shot out, grappling the long ponytail that swung down Konzen's back. And he followed that way, holding on, never letting go until he had to...  
  
And for once, Konzen didn't seem to mind.  
  
*****  
  
(present)  
  
Gokuu awoke with a start. Had he been lounging in a tree that whole time? Rubbing his eyes groggily, he tried to remember the dream he'd just had... but found no vestiges of it lingering. Just a voice...  
  
"Gokuu!"  
  
Sanzo was yelling again. Instantly, the boy jumped from the tree and headed towards where he heard the voice, only to find Sanzo starting to look around. Gokuu glanced at the sky. Dusk already? He had slept that long?  
  
"Gokuu, there you are! You had me--..." The monk paused, then frowned, giving Gokuu a sturdy smack with his fan. "How many times have I warned you not to run off on your own?!"  
  
Gokuu whined pathetically, rubbing his head and looking up at the frustrated blonde. "Maa, Sanzo! I told you I was going outside to think! Why'd ya hafta hit me so hard?!"  
  
Sanzo only grumbled, moving back towards the inn.  
  
*****  
  
Gojyo was not in a good mood. As trying a day as it had been, the saru had to go and get himself lost. And of course, the tiny terror that was the Holy Kirin... Kai Lin. By this point, he was smoking like a chimney and watching his companion and lover sit on the bed and puff on a cigarette as if it was his last. Sanzo was in an even worse mood than he was.  
  
Finally frustrated by the blond's irate attitude, Gojyo moved foreward, cupping the side of a lily-soft face in a tanned hand. "It's the kid, isn't it?"  
  
Sanzo's hand was up in an instant, shoving away Gojyo's as accusing amethyst eyes turned on him. "It has nothing to do with that annoying child. I was just thinking."  
  
"About the kid. She's struck a bad chord with you, hasn't she, Sanzo?"  
  
The other man paused, staring harshly at the ruby eyes that were so close to him. "...She knows things we don't, Gojyo. She's practically a goddess, for fuck's sake. But all she has to say is "we'll learn in due time"?! Fuck that!"  
  
Gojyo grinned, leaning foreward and brushing his lips lightly across the monk's. At Sanzo's surprised glance, he only smirked. "You're beautiful when you're pissed."  
  
A hand went for the fan, but Gojyo caught his wrist deftly in a grip all too familiar with the movement. Sanzo glared at him. "Let go of me."  
  
"You're worrying too much about that little runt. She's scared to death, and even I know she's right. We aren't meant to know what's going on just yet. So..." He shifted his weight, deftly pinning a surprised Sanzo to the bed. "...it's best to just relax."  
  
Sanzo glared up at him, his fists clenching and unclenching in the sheets, watching Gojyo's expression carefully. Lust was written all over the fine lines of the half demon's face. Lust he knew all too well. "And what are your thoughts, then? If you're so certain she's right?"  
  
Gojyo's hand was already questing through the heavy robes, running over the tight black bodysuit and causing shivers to run through the monk's body. "I think we should wait it out. But that's just this kappa's opinion." Practiced lips pressed to a pulse point and Sanzo's whole body shook. "Hm. I think you're loosening up nicely..."  
  
A growl escaped Sanzo's lips as he attempted to get himself free of the kappa's hold, unsuccessfully. The growl itself only presented another opportunity, and Gojyo's lips closed over his. He would've freed himself easily, but in all due truth, Sanzo was open to the idea of assisted calming and Gojyo's assertive lips and tongue were enough to do just that...  
  
*****  
  
Gokuu sighed as he walked around outside, close to the inn. He didn't want to wander too far for fear that he'd upset Sanzo again...  
  
A figure bolting past him, however, caught his attention. The oversized long-sleeved mandarin top, shorts, the headband, the bright golden eyes and long plaits of fiery blue hair... Lin?  
  
Ignoring his previous idea to not upset Sanzo, Gokuu took off after the running girl, anxious to see what she was upset about. She was just like him sometimes, he realized. Afraid to be around others when she was distraught... afraid of hurting her friends more than anything. He picked up pace. She was awfully fast for such a little girl.  
  
And apparently, she had no intentions of stopping until she was long gone from this town. Gokuu didn't like having to resort to this, but...  
  
He lept. As far as he could. Once he had a firm grip on the girl's waist, he twisted so that she landed atop him when they fell. She shrieked a little in shock, but blinked when she realized who she was laying on top of. "G--Gokuu!"  
  
"Hi, Lin. Why're ya runnin'?"  
  
The girl looked away, ashamed and frightened. "I can't stay there. Too many memories... I thought I could handle it, but..."  
  
Gokuu tilted his head to one side, watching her expression carefully. There were tears in her eyes. Frowning, he hugged the girl close. "I want to help you. I really do, Lin. I don't know why I can't... I don't know why you're so familiar to me..."  
  
Kai Lin blinked, then hugged her friend in return, beginning to cry in earnest. Gokuu blinked in shock, but didn't let her go. She was just like a little kid in a strange aspect. Alone and scared of what was happening, not knowing where to turn or who to turn *to*. She buried her face against his shoulder, trying to hide her own tears. "I'm so sorry, Gokuu... I should never have come here..."  
  
*****  
  
The heavens were quiet now as for once, Kanzeon Bosatsu sat with her feet in the water. She was intensly frustrated, though for what reason, even she didn't know. She furrowed her brow, then glanced back at the still comatose Nataku, his lifeless golden eyes staring blankly out over the endless field of lotus blooms. "Your fiancée is finally learning how it must have felt for Gokuu all this time... I wish she didn't have to learn the hard way like this..."  
  
Idly, the god stood, kicking water from her feet gingerly as she stepped over to the throne and leaned against it, looking down at the Dragon Prince with a certain deal of sympathy. Quietly, she tilted her head and touched his cheek. "This will be a long and trying situation, for all of you... Konzen... Kenren... Tenpou... Gokuu... Nataku and Kai Lin. You will be together again... but not without trials." A sigh. "I hope all turns out well."  
  
*****  
  
Hakkai was a little more than pleased when he found Gokuu and Kai Lin just outside the city that night. The two kids were getting along better than he had expected, what with Kai Lin being so frightened and Gokuu being so confused. He found them leaning against a tree, Gokuu hugging a curled up Kai Lin. It was so precious a picture he almost hated to wake them. With a sigh, however, he did as was necessary and gingerly shook Gokuu's shoulder. The boy turned groggy eyes to him, blinking out the heaviness of sleep. "Hn? Oi, Hakkai... wha...?"  
  
"It's getting cold out here. You two will get sick if we stay out here too long. Can you carry Kai Lin? We're going inside."  
  
Gokuu nodded a little as he stood, gathering the petite mass of Kai Lin into his arms and starting to walk. "Un. Na, Hakkai... I know Lin has something to do with my past... I can feel it. But why can't I remember anything?"  
  
A sigh came from Hakkai and he shifted his eyes to his young companion. "I don't know, Gokuu. I really don't. She seems to know things about the rest of us as well..."  
  
There was no response from Gokuu. Only a nod as they approached the inn, completely unaware of the figure approaching through the shadows...  
  
~Tsuzukeru...~ 


	3. May It Be, Part Three: If Only I Could T...

This is a strange chapter. I'll admit that. And the ending is a bit rushed. But I was having a bad case of writer's block. But anyoo, here it is, part 3 of "May It Be". And yeh, Litouten's an ass. Please do keep in mind... this *is* AU!  
  
~Part 3~ ~=If Only I Could Turn Back Time=~  
  
(past)  
  
The halls of the palace in the heavens were normally not quite this quiet, and truthfully, days like this disturbed the hell out of Konzen. It always meant something bad was about to happen, and he hated it when bad things happened.  
  
The kids were with Tenpou, probably getting into more mischief. Kenren was off being... well... being Kenren. Which usually encompassed getting drunk and beating someone up. And he himself had nothing to do. He wanted to hit something, or maybe just do some paperwork. Either way, it would release some tension.  
  
He blinked as a sound down the hall caught his attention. Someone yelling, a child's voice crying. Frowning deeply, he recognized the first voice. Litouten was at it again. But the other voice... a girl's voice?  
  
His frown grew into an angry grimace and he ran to the scene of the incident.  
  
**  
  
Litouten was in a rage. He had caught the kids playing tag outside, and the thought of his son and the young Kirin being around that murderous little ape had made his blood boil. He had ahold of Kai Lin's small arms, yelling at her, a distinct order to stay away from Goku...  
  
The girl was in tears, sobbing a little louder each time he shook her in the emphasis of his speech. Konzen saw this, fury blazing in deep amethyst eyes, his fists clenching and unclenching. As he moved foreward, however, he heard a cry from Litouten. The child had twisted to one side in his grip and bitten his arm.  
  
Unfortunately for Kai Lin, Litouten wasn't about to let a small child push him around like this. Angry and shocked by the girl's actions, he flung her to the side. The tiny cry from her as she struck the side wall caused Konzen's anger to flare up beyond belief and the young god stormed foreward, letting his fists do the talking as he landed a right hook on Litouten's left cheek.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Litouten?! I should have you thrown in the dungeon for this!" He was standing over the man now, glaring down at him, his fists shaking with pent up hate for the man before him. "Do you have any idea what you might have DONE?! Kai Lin is just a child! Same as Nataku, *and* Goku! If I *ever* see you touch one of them again, you god-damned fucking bastard... I swear I'll hand you over to Kanzeon-sama *myself*, *after* I've beaten the living *shit* out of you!"  
  
He glared as Litouten ran off, only stared as Tenpou ran in, surprised by the noise. He watched quietly as the man gently picked up the child, comforting her whimpering, nursing the rather large bump on the back of her head.  
  
He didn't speak at all. He just turned and walked back to his office.  
  
*****  
  
(present)  
  
The room was dark. Sanzo's eyes had snapped open, and he was glaring at the wall. What had that dream been about? Who was that man? He rubbed the bridge of his nose lightly, trying to piece together the puzzle. He had most of the pieces, but that key piece, the one that made the whole picture come together, was missing. Why couldn't he place it...?  
  
*****  
  
(past)  
  
It was almost impossible to break through that shell sometimes. Kenren always loved it when he did, though. He was beneath Tenpou in many aspects, after all. Tenpou was his superior, his commander, his general. But if there was one place Kenren would not accept being on the bottom, it was in bed. Besides... Tenpou seemed to enjoy being dominated every once in a while.  
  
But today, Tenpou was in an even worse mood than normal. The man was rushing about a bed, tending to a wounded child, a wounded child Kenren knew well as the young Kirin. Nataku and Goku were peering in the door where Kenren stood to keep them out.  
  
He couldn't help but feel bad for the kids. It was times like this he wished *he* was the one that outranked Litouten. He would've given him far worse treatment than Konzen. That man acted too damn pure to even look in Kenren's direction sometimes.  
  
Quietly, he glanced back at Tenpou, who was just finishing tending to the girl in the bed. "She'll be fine... she just needs to sleep. She was more frightened than anything..."  
  
Kenren nodded, letting Nataku and Goku past him. The two instantly rushed to Kai Lin's side, one on each side of the bed, peering at her nervously. It didn't take long for the little monkey and the dragon prince to be sound asleep as well, resting against the bed. Tenpou sighed a little and, with Kenren's help, lifted the two into the bed. Once the three were peacefully settled, Kenren practically dragged Tenpou out of the room.  
  
"I feel bad leaving them alone..." murmured Tenpou, glancing over his shoulder as they made their way into the next room over.  
  
Kenren shrugged, tilting Tenpou's face to look at him. "We're in the next room over. They can't get into too much trouble. Now tell me, Tenpou... what happened to her? She couldn't have just tripped and fell. Tripping and falling doesn't hurt a little kid that bad."  
  
After a drawn out moment, Tenpou sighed, resting his head against Kenren's shoulder. "Litouten was yelling at her. She bit him."  
  
This made Kenren snicker. "Good kid."  
  
"No, not really." Tenpou was frowning, his voice dark. "He threw her into the wall. Good thing Konzen got there."  
  
Kenren made a face, burying his nose in Tenpou's hair. "Much as I can't stand that pansy ass bastard, I appreciate what he does sometimes. Is anything gonna happen to Litouten for this?"  
  
Tenpou shook his head. "Not a thing. Konzen's the only one who saw it, and he gave Litouten a warning."  
  
Kenren growled, dipping his head to kiss Tenpou, his hands moving as he tried to push the foul thoughts out of his mind. One of these days...  
  
*****  
  
(present)  
  
Gojyo sat up in bed abruptly, ruby eyes wide. The oddity of that dream was far behind him, but he felt so much from it. The feel of the man in his arms felt almost real, much warmer than Sanzo, with a voice much kinder. Almost like Hakkai.  
  
He frowned. Hakkai was too cold, too distant, to ever be like the man in that dream. But a better question still remained...  
  
Who was the man known as Kenren, and what was his significance...?  
  
*****  
  
(past)  
  
Some people said that he fussed like a mother hen sometimes. He, Gensui Tenpou, a strong and straight-foreward general...  
  
Turning into a harried mother over the three children that stayed in the heavens.  
  
He already didn't like Litouten. Anyone in the heavens that knew him knew as much. As a matter of fact, he was highly likely to hit Litouten whenever he saw him. He'd done so before, and he'd gladly do so again. He hated the man on many levels, and as much as he cared for those three children, one of which he was tending to now, that just added another level of hate.  
  
He sighed and looked down at Kai Lin. Most of her early symptoms had passed. He had spent the time necessary watching the child. She had a bad nausea spell, and had seemed dazed and puzzled for a while, unable to walk due to the shakiness of the shock. The blow to the head she'd taken when she hit the wall had given her a concussion, though with the expert abilities of all those in Taigai, the child would be fine.  
  
He frowned, glancing over at Kenren, who was watching him from the door. Kenren would never have admitted it, but he was worried.  
  
Tenpou sighed and looked back at the child in the bed. She had fallen asleep peacefully, and Tenpou was certain now that she would make a full recovery. He motioned only then for Kenren to bring the kids in. She'll be fine... she just needs to sleep. She was more frightened than anything..."  
  
Kenren nodded, letting Nataku and Goku past him. The two instantly rushed to Kai Lin's side, one on each side of the bed, peering at her nervously. It didn't take long for the little monkey and the dragon prince to be sound asleep as well, resting against the bed. Tenpou sighed a little and lifted the two into the bed, tucking them in soundly. With Kenren's help, of course. Once they were settled peacefully, he allowed Kenren to drag him away.  
  
"I feel bad leaving them alone..." He glanced over his shoulder as they moved to the next room.  
  
Kenren shrugged, tilting Tenpou's face to look at him. "We're in the next room over. They can't get into too much trouble. Now tell me, Tenpou... what happened to her? She couldn't have just tripped and fell. Tripping and falling doesn't hurt a little kid that bad."  
  
"Litouten was yelling at her. She bit him," Tenpou responded after a few moments, his head resting on Kenren's strong shoulder.  
  
This made Kenren snicker. "Good kid."  
  
"No, not really." Tenpou was frowning, his voice dark. "He threw her into the wall. Good thing Konzen got there."  
  
Kenren made a face, burying his nose in Tenpou's hair. "Much as I can't stand that pansy ass bastard, I appreciate what he does sometimes. Is anything gonna happen to Litouten for this?"  
  
Tenpou shook his head. "Not a thing. Konzen's the only one who saw it, and he gave Litouten a warning."  
  
He heard Kenren's grunt of disproval before those familiar lips captured his again, even more familiar hands moving over his body and practically turning him to putty. Vaguely, he recalled his thoughts to have a word with Litouten about this little incident...  
  
But that could wait until later.  
  
*****  
  
(present)  
  
Hakkai groaned as he turned over in bed, his mind reeling from the dream he had just suffered. Such a strangely angry man for someone who seemed so intelligent. He turned onto his back, staring at the ceiling. An odd mystery, this strange dream. What was he supposed to do with it?  
  
*****  
  
For the first night in ages, Goku sat at the window wide awake, a thought stirring in his mind. A strange thought that wasn't so much of a thought as it was a spark. A spark of a memory dancing through his mind, lighting up doors he had not seen and revealing things to him he had not previously recalled. He remembered the tree, he remembered Nataku and Kai Lin, he remembered...  
  
Konzen. Now Sanzo. Konzen, Sanzo, one in the same, his keeper and the man he would give his life for.  
  
So deep was he in his thoughts that the tiny figure slinking closer to the window did not catch his attention. Green eyes flashed at him, and he was almost taken out when a lithe form lept at him, claws going for his throat. Quickly he dodged, putting the chair between he and his assailant. "...Ririn?!"  
  
The girl grinned at him from behind burnt orange tresses, settling into a fighting pose. "Where's the Kirin, monkey boy?"  
  
Goku grinned in return at this. "You want 'er? You have to get through me first!"  
  
*****  
  
The sounds of a skirmish roused Sanzo from his slumber shortly after he had fallen back asleep. Who was fighting at this time of night?! They'd get a bullet through the head for sure.  
  
Then, he heard Goku's voice, and a second voice, that sounded annoyingly like Kougaiji's obnoxious little sister. Just as he'd suspected. They'd come for the Kirin. Rousing himself completely, he pulled on his robes, ornamentation, and sutra. He'd probably need them.  
  
*****  
  
Goku frowned as he watched Ririn carefully. He had tried very hard not to do much damage, but when battling a wild card like the demon girl, that was difficult. She also had the added advantage of a full rest. He was tired, having been unable to sleep, and the girl was fast on her feet, where he was a little more sluggish than normal. And besides the fact, he was hungry!  
  
He was frustrated, battered, and very annoyed with this little fight when the door was abruptly kicked open. There stood Sanzo, looking very pissed off at having been woken up, violet eyes shooting daggers, spears, and nuclear, satellite guided warheads.  
  
Ririn did not look ready to back off, until the nearby sound of approaching shouts caught her attention. Cursing her bad luck, the girl fled out the window and off into the night.  
  
"Goku... what the fuck was that all about?" Sanzo's voice was dark and angry.  
  
Goku stood in place, watching the window, before his golden eyes shot back to Sanzo. "They're after Kai Lin!"  
  
Before Sanzo could question the matter further, the boy was out the door, barreling past Gojyo and Hakkai, heading for the child's room.  
  
The three followed, only to find Goku at Kai Lin's bedside, letting out a sigh of relief. He brushed back a few strands of her hair, then much to everyone's surprise, crawled up into the bed next to her. He stayed atop the covers, though, smiling fondly at the girl. "I remember you not wanting me to go away, Kai Lin... but now that you've found me, what do we do?"  
  
Hakkai blinked, then smiled, watching as the boy curled up next to his friend, much as he had in that strange dream. Goku yawned and grabbed her hand, holding onto it as he fell asleep. "I won't let them take you away, Kai Lin. Ever."  
  
~Tsuzukeru~ 


	4. May It Be, Part Four: The Thin Line

This chapter has been edited for the convenience of people too stubborn to monitor their own kids on the computer. The full part, INCLUDING the lemon, will be posted on Fated Guys (http://www.geocities.com/fated_guys) later!  
  
~Part 4~ ~=The Thin Line=~  
  
"I won't let them take you away, Kai Lin..."  
  
Sanzo stared at the boy incredulously, at the two small figures on the bed, both of them now sleeping peacefully. His mind felt tired, jumbled up as if someone had told him to walk backwards off a pier and it had turned out not to be a pier but a platform over a maze that he was now running like a mouse looking for cheese. Hakkai was smiling warmly, moving over to the two to cover Goku up as well before giving the children a gentle look.  
  
Gojyo was grumbling something, annoyed and frustrated, his hands shoved in his pockets as he moved back towards his room.  
  
Sanzo noted the air of uneasiness in the room at that point. They knew now what was going on... Kai Lin, the little Kirin, was being threatened by Kougaiji, who wanted her for gods only knew what reason. Goku seemed to remember something, his past lit up as suddenly as a light switch beng turned on. Sanzo was only barely aware when a hand caught his collar and dragged him towards the door as well.  
  
"Staring ain't gonna do any good, bouzu-sama. C'mon, leave the kids be."  
  
Sanzo scowled at the voice. Gojyo hadn't left as it was. The half- breed was the stronger, as always, though, and did manage to get Sanzo out of the room and into his own before he found himself shoved into the wall, a pair of angry violet eyes focused on him. "Kougaiji has a new target, Gojyo, or haven't you gotten it through that stuffy head of yours yet?"  
  
An angry glint flared in Gojyo's eyes and he snarled at Sanzo lightly. "Since when did you *care*, Sanzo hoshi-sama?"  
  
Angered by the question, Sanzo would have slapped Gojyo, but his hands were preoccupied with pinning the red-head to the wall, so he resorted to one of his harshest glares, which made even Hakkai cower sometimes. "Because that girl is one of the most important figures in heaven. And on top of that, she knows something about us. Something about our fucking pasts and why we're on this fucking, gods-forsaken journey to the fucking west that we don't fucking know. I'll be fucking damned if I don't fucking find out what the fuck it is! Fuck!"  
  
"Aww, that's so cute." Gojyo's lips had curled into a half-sneer, half-pout. "Sanzo houshi-sama grows a heart."  
  
This time Sanzo did withdraw his hand, to punch Gojyo, but Gojyo was an instant quicker and spun, bracing his weight against Sanzo and pinning the monk instead. He stared at his "captive", still a little angry. "Hakkai's watching the kids. They'll be fine. It's not like you to worry." He flashed a grin. "It's kinda scary."  
  
"Let... me... go..." Sanzo spoke slowly, as if ordering a child, but Gojyo only grinned and nuzzled at a lily-white cheek. "I said..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, let you go. But I'm not gonna."  
  
The monk growled, but Gojyo stopped the sound with his lips, thrusting his tongue into Sanzo's mouth to drown the protest. Sanzo instantly fought back, his pride and dominance becoming more of an issue than the previous one.  
  
It was a worthless struggle. He knew that already. He was older and more experienced than Gojyo, and smaller and quicker... but Gojyo was much stronger, and he always used it to his advantage, quickly stripping Sanzo of the robes before grabbing his wrists and twisting them over his head. Sanzo never did give up, not until the moment he found himself beneath Gojyo, head thrown back, writhing in ecstasy with his golden hair staining a pillow. Damned if he would let the kappa win without a fight.  
  
He was getting vaguely annoyed... anxiety and impatience registered in his face and with one push to Gojyo's stomach with his foot, he shoved the other away. Gojyo, however, kept his grip on the monk's wrists and dragged him with him, even when he toppled to the floor. The half-breed had them flipped before Sanzo could even make a move to advance, and as quickly as he had done that, he was pushing up that annoying black shirt to get to the skin beneath. But Sanzo wasn't ready to give up yet...  
  
He pulled his leg up, pressing his knee to the very sensitive spot between Gojyo's legs, not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to cause a very agonizing mixture of pleasure and agony that made the half-breed break the contact of the kiss to throw his head back. He was half groaning, half snarling, and his eyes -- though glassy -- were fixed on the monk through his fall of red hair. "Goddamned tease..."  
  
"Am I?" Sanzo's voice was a sneer, mirroring the expression on his face. "You deserve it. Ero kappa!"  
  
Gojyo made a scoffing noise, managing to use his leg to pin Sanzo's further attempts to rile him. "You never win when we do this. So why do you try?"  
  
He set himself about the task of removing Sanzo's jeans while the other scoffed, almost a hiss. "Because I hate letting you take control without a fight, dumb fuck."  
  
"Dumb fuck, huh?" Gojyo snickered as he pushed his hand inside the jeans he'd finally undone, finding with practiced ease exactly what he knew would shut the monk up. "I d'no, you seem to be enjoying it..."  
  
*****  
  
It could've been minutes, or maybe even hours, since the end of the pair's climatic lovemaking. Sanzo was laying still, hands above his head, eyes closed... Gojyo had sat up and begun smoking, staring out the window with a pleasantly smug look on his face  
  
A few silent moments passed before Sanzo's violet eyes turned to Gojyo and he spoke through his frenzied breathing. "I'll kill you for that, you fucking sonuvabitch."  
  
"Eh. You know you liked it."  
  
The red-head stretched and stood, going to collect his clothes. Neither knew of the events transpiring just a few rooms away...  
  
*****  
  
Hakkai sighed as he finally settled down, lowering wearily into a chair in the room with the two kids. Goku and Kai Lin were both sound asleep, Goku's hand curled around Kai Lin's smaller one, curled up against her side and protecting her, even in sleep.  
  
He smiled a little at that. Goku was fiercely loyal when he decided to be, and the way he clung to the girl like a lifeline proved what Hakkai had hoped... the boy remembered at least a little bit of his past. Unlike the rest of them.  
  
A frown crossed his face as he watched them now, watching as Kai Lin murmured in her sleep and turned to face her friend, looking as childish as he did. He had hoped at first that Goku may find a reasonable companion in the smallish girl, but circumstance had proved otherwise. Circumstance had them with another mission on top of the first one. Circumstance was a bitch.  
  
Idly, he reached foreward and readjusted the blankets, making sure both of the two remained covered. He was tired, but he couldn't sleep. These two needed him.  
  
The voice was whispered at first, as soft as the steps of a wasp across a windowpane, but Hakkai's sharp hearing caught it. "Gonou..."  
  
Startled eyes flew wide and the young man turned, speaking quietly so as not to wake up Goku or Kai Lin. "Kanan...?!"  
  
"Gonou... where are you...?" The voice remained quiet. Hakkai scrambled to his feet and out into the main room. "Gonou... please find me..."  
  
"Kanan?! Kanan, I hear you, where are you?!"  
  
There was a long pause. Hakkai had started to think he may be imagining things, when suddenly, he felt something on his throat, crushing his windpipe. "Right here."  
  
"Ghk...!" Choking. He knew this feeling. He was choking. Something had ahold of his throat and was squeezing, cutting off his air. "Ha--hanase..."  
  
The voice that spoke had changed distinctly, now sinister and shrill. "Where are your friends now, Cho Hakkai? You, a man who is so easily manipulated by such a silly trick, do not deserve to live!"  
  
Squirming slightly, Hakkai clawed at his throat. Nothing was there, but he could distinctly feel the crushing hands, the claws digging into his flesh. What was it?! Where was it?!  
  
He staggered, almost falling under his own fear and confusion. And he could only think of calling for help... "G--Gojyo...!"  
  
*****  
  
In the other room, Gojyo had just succeeded in pulling on his pants, buckling them. But something caught his attention. Something didn't smell right. He looked around briefly. Sanzo stared at him for a moment. "...What's wrong?"  
  
"Somethin' ain't right. I'm gonna check on Hakkai and the bakazaru and bakakanoko." He picked up a cigarette as he walked, reaching out to push the door open, when he heard footsteps fall across the floor behind him. "Eh?"  
  
Sanzo shrugged. "I'm going with you. Can't let you have all the fun."  
  
Gojyo only grinned and pushed open the door. However, the instant he did, he was accosted suddenly by the sounds of a struggle. He could hear Hakkai's choked voice, desperate and pleading for help. "The hell...?! Hakkai!"  
  
*****  
  
In the main room, Hakkai was on his knees, still clawing at something invisible that had hold of his throat. It was Sanzo who first noticed the shadow cast by the green-eyed man. "Hikage youkai!"  
  
The monk drew his gun instantly, but the moment he did, the shadow of the sadistic woman choking his companion faded back into that of the dark haired man that was gasping for air. Gojyo was at Hakkai's side in a split second, catching him before he fell and cradling him carefully. "Damn! It almost managed to completely crush his throat!"  
  
"Gojyo, keep your eyes open. A shadow demon can hide anywhere in a room like this." The monk even looked a little paranoid. "Too many shadows."  
  
"I can... I can stop it..." Hakkai barely managed to rasp out, raising a slender hand. "Here..."  
  
"Iie!" Gojyo snapped, grabbing his best friend's wrist. "You're too weak right now. You'll only end up hurting yourself more!"  
  
"He's our only shot. Let him do it." Gojyo's eyes turned to Sanzo, who was still watching the room warily.  
  
There was a long pause then, and Gojyo gazed back at the young man in his arms. "...All right, then. It's up to you, buddy, make me proud. And don't you dare die."  
  
Hakkai nodded a little. "Hai."  
  
Just as he was lifting his hands however, he choked again, head falling back and eyes wide. The crushing hands had returned, the indentations obvious on his slim throat. Gojyo panicked. "Hakkai! Hang on!"  
  
Sanzo snapped to attention instantly, turning towards them and drawing his gun. Then he saw the problem. Hakkai's shadow was stretched across Gojyo's chest. The demon was mocking him now. He couldn't fire without killing Gojyo as well!  
  
Cursing loudly, he snarled as the youkai started to laugh. "Kisama wa..."  
  
"Kill me, kill the half-breed. Before you kill us both, I'll break this man's neck! What do you think you should do NOW, monk?!"  
  
Hakkai didn't look too good at this point. His lips were turning an abnormal shade, and his face had taken on an unusual tint as well. Gojyo was almost near hysteria out of anger. "You bitch! Let him go!"  
  
The youkai only laughed, but then without warning, Hakkai threw up a hand. A bright burst of light filled the room, and the sudden image of a shrieking black creature was skitting across the floor at record speed, looking for a shadow. Sanzo was a split second quicker, aiming and firing. He closed his eyes, pleased, as the thing died in a burst of energy and an ear-shattering shriek.  
  
But Gojyo was not at all in the same sense of cheer. He was shaking Hakkai gently, patting the pale cheek. "Hakkai! Hakkai, meiou asukete! Hakkai! Don't you dare die on me now, Hakkai, come on!"  
  
Sanzo sat and stared for a moment, watching the scene play out before him. "...He'll live. Hakkai's too stubborn to die, you should know that by now. Come on. Let's get him in a bed."  
  
Gojyo nodded a little, standing with Hakkai's lax form cradled in his arms. "C'mon, buddy... you have to live, right? Can't die just yet..."  
  
*****  
  
"It failed?"  
  
"Yes, your majesty..." The youkai knelt before the dark-haired man before him was trembling. "My greatest apologies..."  
  
"And the Kirin and the boy?"  
  
"Both well. But the green-eyed man is near death. I am certain he will--..."  
  
The man in the chair stood up abruptly, his form dwarfing the youkai before him, strong fists clenched as his eyes narrowed. "I told you I wanted death assured! Dead before releasing. If he is not dead, he will not die! I know these men that well. Get out of my sight!"  
  
"Demo, your majesty..."  
  
"Go!"  
  
The youkai cowered slightly, then bowed deeply. "Of course, your majesty..."  
  
As the youkai scurried out quickly, the man turned to a window, scowling out. "My plans were foiled before, but they will not be again. Seiten Taisen Son Goku... Holy Kirin Kai Lin... we will see each other again... soon..."  
  
As he laughed, a deep booming sound, in the Human Realm, two children slept soundly in bed, not knowing what was transpiring around them...  
  
~Tsuzukeru...~ 


	5. May It Be, Part Five: Take Back the Nigh...

~Author's Note: So you know, this IS NOT going to turn into a Mary Sue! You'll see what's going on soon enough...~  
  
~=May It Be, Part 5=~ =~Take Back the Night~=  
  
"How is he?"  
  
Sanzo didn't even look up as he spoke. Gojyo had just returned to the main room, his face weary and stricken with the worry he had been suffering from. "Could be worse, I guess. He's over the hump now... he won't die. But he's still having some trouble breathing."  
  
There was a brief growl and Sanzo angrily put out his cigarette on the table beside him. "More delays! I swear, this trip just keeps getting more and more trying, and now with Hakkai getting his damn self hurt..."  
  
Frowning, Gojyo sat down across from the angered monk, his ruby eyes fixed on the immoral priest. "It's not like Hakkai tried to get hurt, y'know. He almost died, and honestly, he saved our lives. That thing would've killed us too, and we couldn't do a damn thing against it."  
  
A pause passed, and Sanzo let out an irritated, but defeated, sigh. "True. But it still holds us back. What about the two runts, did you check on them?"  
  
"Still sleepin' like babies," shrugged Gojyo. "Nothing wakes Goku up anyway, and I guess Kai Lin's the same way." A grin crossed his thin face. "Kinda cute, actually."  
  
Sanzo only snorted.  
  
*****  
  
"My lord, you can't be serious! We can send another ambush, perhaps...!"  
  
"Silence!" The man with the dark hair and beard turned on the youkai behind him, glaring through equally dark eyes. "They thought me dead, you know... and I haven't survived these past 500 years without learning a trick or two. And I know these men... they won't give up without a fight. So I have a different plan in mind." Grinning, he looked towards the ceiling. "I know where THEY are staying, and they are immobilized until Cho Hakkai returns to full strength. So in the meanwhile... pinpoint the current location of the Kougaiji-ikkou. I wish to have a little heart-to- heart with their lovely medicine woman..."  
  
"...But my lord..."  
  
"Silence! And do as I say!"  
  
"...Hai... Litouten-sama."  
  
*****  
  
The woods were calm where the Kougaiji-ikkou had paused to work out a battle plan. Dokugaku Ji stood silent, leaning against a tree, watching Kougaiji pace and work things out aloud as Ririn sat watching him from the grassy ground. Yaone stood silent, her hands folded in front of her. Kougaiji himself was still pacing, muttering, and obviously quite upset about their current situation. "There's only a few ways to go about this, but I think simplicity is best if we want to capture the Kirin without her escaping. Yaone, you'll have to put the lot of them to sleep with a potion. Ririn can stand watch while Dokugaku Ji and I get the child."  
  
"Mou, onii-chan, standing watch is so boring!"  
  
The pouty tone in the girl's voice made Kougaiji break his first smile since he'd received the order to go after the Kirin. "I know, Ririn, but I did make you a promise before. Just do this, and you know I'll keep it. Okay? Just you and me, remember?"  
  
There was a moment of pause of Ririn obviously contemplated this decision. "...oh, okay."  
  
"Kougaiji-sama..." The red-haired youkai turned to his other female companion, who had finally broken her silence to speak up. "...Something seems very strange right now."  
  
Blink. Kougaiji tilted his head at her, then his own ears caught the oddity. The forest had suddenly become deathly still. Not a bird moved, nor a deer rustled. Something dangerous was coming. In an instant, the entire group was standing at ready, looking around for whatever was waiting to attack.  
  
However, none of them could've anticipated it. It came from behind Yaone, who turned and threw three small explosive beads at the mystery assailant in an instant, but whoever it was dodged with uncanny speed.  
  
"Behind you!" she called to Dokugaku Ji.  
  
Dokugaku Ji was quick with his sword and turned to cleave the unknown enemy in two, and though his initial objective was unsuccessful, he caught the intruder on the arm. The four members of Kougaiji's group stood quiet, watching until the stranger lifted his head and gave them their first glimpse of who only Kougaiji recognized. "...It's that rat from the heavenly realm, Litouten. It was your son who sealed my father and I away 500 years ago!"  
  
The man sneered, tilting his head to one side as he regarded the prince. "Yes, that would be me, young prince. And yes, it was my son who sealed you and your bastard father away. And now, it is I..." He grinned as Kougaiji started, violet eyes wide with shock and pain as the man pulled an underhanded trick and stabbed the young prince in the stomach. "...who does this."  
  
Yaone's eyes grew wide and she darted foreward, spear in her hands before any of the others could blink. "Kougaiji-sama!"  
  
Dokugaku Ji and Ririn also advanced, but Litouten held up a hand. "One more move and I kill him. You, girl..." And his gaze turned to Yaone, who had stopped dead in her tracks, saffron eyes shaking with fear. "I know you are an apothecary. Give me your sleeping potions now. Do so swiftly, child, or I kill him where we stand!"  
  
Dumbfounded and at a lack of anything else to do, Yaone nodded and slipped out a few vials full of a glittering potion used to put adversaries to sleep. Once they were in his hand, Litouten jerked back the sword, causing Kougaiji to stagger back and weave unsteadily, where Dokugaku Ji caught him. Litouten grinned. "Thank you kindly... now, if you'll excuse me..."  
  
And in an instant, the man was gone. Ririn was hysterical, begging one of the two to do something for her older brother as Dokugaku Ji gently laid the wounded demon on the ground. Yaone, snapping out of her dazed state, swiftly moved over next to them, taking out a pouch filled with herbs. A slender hand ran down the side of Kougaiji's face, coated as it was with a thin veil of sweat, before quickly starting to press the herbs in the pouch against the wound. "Please hold on just a few moments longer, Kougaiji-sama... this will stop the bleeding..."  
  
"Of all the dirty... underhanded tricks..." At this point, Kougaiji did not sound happy. "But this doesn't make sense at all. Why not kill me? Why only take the potions? Something pernicious is afoot... Something very pernicious indeed..."  
  
*****  
  
The room was silent where the two children slept side-by-side, although at the sound of something approaching, Goku began to stir. He caught a scent on a breeze that floated through the window and sat up instantly, watching as shimmers of a strange dusty substance flickered past his face. "What's...?! SA--... Sanzo..." His eyes began to feel heavy again and he drooped, watching a man he did not recognize climb through the window.  
  
His whole body felt numb... tired. He tried to cry out again, to get someone's attention. Kai Lin was still asleep, but he saw now that it seemed she had started to wake up as well. Sleeping potion! He fought to stay awake as he was grabbed... tried to get free as the man picked up Kai Lin as well.  
  
Nothing mattered but getting both of them to safety, and this was not happening. They could not get away. Finally, realizing he had no other choice, Goku drooped, eyes falling shut, giving in to the sleep he had tried to fight off. The man chuckled lowly... and made for the window once more.  
  
*****  
  
"Why is it that everything seems to be going wrong tonight?" muttered Gojyo lowly. He lifted a cigarette to his lips, reaching for his lighter. "We can't keep ourselves together for five minutes. Look at us, we're falling apart, and all because some little girl comes in and--..."  
  
Sanzo snorted audibly, leaning back into his chair. "We'll be gone shortly. We'll send her on her way to wherever she came from and we'll get back to our journey."  
  
The sudden comment caught Gojyo's attention and he watched Sanzo's face with a tiny bit of a smirk. "Y'know, Sanzo, you can't tell me you're not just a little bit curious. What was it she called you? Konzen? She called me Kenren... and Hakkai Tenpou. Hell, I'd like to know what's going on."  
  
Once again, Sanzo snorted to show that he had no interest in such trivial matters. It had been a long night already, and all he really cared for right now was trying to get some sleep and being on the way in the morning.  
  
Then, his head shot up at a short cry from down the hall. Violet eyes focused in that direction before he was on his feet and heading that way. Bursting into the door, he was shocked to find someone just barely missing him by ducking out the window and heading off into the night. Under one arm he carried two things... Goku and Kai Lin.  
  
"Bastard! Stop!" Sanzo went for his gun, then realized that something was still lingering in the air. He coughed and covered his mouth, feeling drowsy. "So that's how... sleeping gas... nngh..." He dropped to his knees, hearing Gojyo make his way up the hallway with long, quick steps. "Stay out of here, Gojyo!"  
  
The mist was dissipating, but he had caught enough of it... he fell foreward, deeply asleep before Gojyo burst around the corner.  
  
*****  
  
A little over two hours passed before Sanzo finally began to awaken. He stirred slightly at first, then groaned. His head was throbbing... he realized he must've cracked it against the floor when he fell victim to the sleeping medicine that had lingered in Goku and Kai Lin's room. Gojyo was leaning against the wall nearby, and Hakkai was sitting in a chair by the door, a little better in appearance than he had been earlier. The first words out of his own mouth were memorable of many other things to him... even this. "I couldn't save them."  
  
"Don't worry yourself with it, Sanzo... we'll get them back." Hakkai's voice was quiet and raspy... he obviously had not fully recovered. "Gojyo tried to catch the man, but he disappeared. Could he have been sent by Kougaiji?"  
  
Gojyo shook his head, looking more frustrated than anything. "I doubt it. I really do doubt it. They would've sent the apothecary chick... not some guy. Whoever it was wasn't youkai anyway... he was something else."  
  
"We're going to find them."  
  
Both Gojyo and Hakkai turned to look at Sanzo as he sat up in the bed. Gojyo's jaw had dropped open and it looked as if he may lose his cigarette. "We have no idea where they went, Sanzo!"  
  
Sanzo shook his head a little, speaking again. "But we have a clue. He headed towards the woods. That is where we head."  
  
Hakkai opened his mouth to say something, then just closed it and shook his head. There was no changing Sanzo's mind now. Gojyo as well seemed resigned to this fate and sighed deeply. All they had now was to set out.  
  
*****  
  
The woods were silent, and far too quiet for Sanzo's taste. And as if anticipating the hard times ahead, a misty rain had begun to fall. According to the rumor mill in town, this "mysterious beauty" of a medicine woman lived near the edge of the forest in a small hut. She was a hermit for the most part, living by herself, only coming into town to buy necessary goods for survival. People who travelled the woods made sure to stop by her little hut before leaving in order to buy medicinal goods, mostly because these woods were known for being rich in one other thing than herbal remedies: poisons.  
  
The rain was falling heavily by the time the group arrived at the small house in the woods, and the Sanzo-ikkou certainly could have been in better spirits. Everyone was unsure of what to expect, but aware of their surroundings, as they gazed about. Sanzo scowled. "Fei-Min! Are you in here? We've come here to find you."  
  
As it was, the house certainly was small, barely big enough for even one person just living alone. A small table sat in the center, strewn with herbs and medicines, and a few more herbs with pestle and mortar sets were haphazardly set across the counter along one wall. The walls were lined with herbs and medicinal flowers hung up to dry out. A bed sat in the far corner, the only place free of herbs. There were three or four windows, all of them open, the sparse curtains blowing in a soft breeze, rain carried in with it, casting moisture upon the wooden floor, and the house smelled of flowers and perfumed ointments.  
  
Sanzo was about to speak up again when suddenly, he felt the barrel of a shotgun press into the nape of his neck. "Who the fuck are you and what the fuck are you doing in my house?"  
  
The monk's back stiffened. "We're looking for a woman by the name of Fei-Min."  
  
A slight snarl. "Why are you looking for her?"  
  
"We want her to come with us."  
  
The barrel of the shotgun shoved against the back of Sanzo's head again. "Why?"  
  
"...We need her help for this next leg of our journey... someone who knows herbs and medicines well, so we all don't end up dead."  
  
There was a long pause, and then the barrel of the shotgun withdrew. "Then you've come to the right place."  
  
The shock was evident with each of the remaining three members of the Sanzo-ikkou. Sanzo, Gojyo, and Hakkai all turned to face the woman that held the shotgun. She was smiling slightly, though it wasn't her calm appearance that shocked everyone.  
  
The woman had soft blond hair, only a little longer than Sanzo's. It hung just past her shoulders and dusted into her eyes. Her skin was fair, and despite the hard work she obviously must've put into her trade, she seemed delicate and untouched... Behind that, though, were the years of suffering, read in sharp violet eyes.  
  
And she was in every way identical to the irrational monk. From the way she stood with her hips slightly to one side, to the droop of her eyelids, to the pout of her lips. She was beautiful, as was he, and in that match was an eerie similarity of a haunted past in haunted eyes that made even Hakkai double-take and recoil.  
  
The unexpected twins blinked at one another, gauging responses and trying to make heads or tails of the situation at hand. Sanzo moved first, reaching out and running slender fingertips over the girl's face. "...You. Where did you get that face?"  
  
Her nose wrinkled and she made a face up at him, being nearly a full foot shorter. "I was born with it, of course. What about you? Not every day you meet a male doppleganger."  
  
"Same as you! Hmph." Sanzo wasn't too pleased at all with this new turn of events... and this was just plain creepy. "You are Fei-Min?" Changing the topic seemed to be the best course of action.  
  
The girl straightened a bit, trying to make her very small frame seem just that much bigger. "I am. I suppose you heard of me from town?"  
  
A nod of response. The tension, however, did not leave the air. The young woman was obviously still very startled, and Sanzo was no less miffed. Both shifted uncomfortably until finally, the woman spoke again. "The rain doesn't look to be letting up, and it's getting late. Tell me what you need, I'll get it ready tonight, and you all can be gone by morning."  
  
"Actually, we're planning a trek through the woods... we're pursuing someone," Hakkai responded shortly, his eyes shifting back and forth between the two blondes in the room. "We were told this area is practically alive with toxins and we should see you before proceeding."  
  
Fei-Min nodded in agreement. "They told you right. It's dangerous in this area... very dangerous. I'll mix up some antitoxins tonight... and it'll take part of the morning for them to set. I'll wager they'll be ready for you all by midday tomorrow... readjusting my original estimate, of course"  
  
The others nodded and Fei-Min excused herself, walking outside quietly. Gojyo let out a deep, pent-up breath. "Geez! That was weird! Damn, Sanzo, you have a body double!"  
  
"That was rather eerie." The fact that it had even disturbed Hakkai bothered Gojyo a little. "With a few exceptions of height, the way she wears her hair, and her own feminine figure, or lack thereof, she was identical to Sanzo. I wonder..."  
  
Sanzo's interruption was short and blunt. "I have no siblings." With that, he started outside. "Which gives me every reason to believe that the whole truth is not being told here. I'm going to talk to her. Something isn't right... and I intend to find out what."  
  
~Tsuzukeru...~ 


End file.
